UCLA says this about their CRT PROGRAM—The first law school program in the United States dedicated to critical race theory in legal scholarship and related disciplines, the Critical Race Studies program is unequaled in American legal education. The cornerstone of the program is the CRS specialization, a competitive academic course of study engaging top students who are committed to racial justice scholarship and legal practice. The CRS specialization enhances coursework with a variety of collaborative and interdisciplinary experiences to integrate theory and practice. The Critical Race Studies program hosts an annual symposium that draws top scholars from around the country for discussion of cutting-edge topics and works with student-led clinics to provide students with on-the-ground training and opportunities for representation and advocacy.
AND THIS ABOUT THE ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM—Established in 2007, through a collaboration of CRS students and faculty, the CRS Symposium is the signature event of the UCLA School of Law’s Critical Race Studies Program. The purpose of the event is to foreground the most innovative ideas and strategies to end racial injustice, to promote learning and collaboration across disciplines, and to integrate racial justice theory and practice.
Many buzz words, I must say. Their presumption is there is racial injustice in scholarship and legal practice. Thinking, I guess, that we fall short of the mark set in Galatians. They see a duty to call attention to that condition. Shades of Frederick Douglas. The UCLA people involved look to be almost all from minority groups.
My governor sees the whole of CRS as a bad thing. Making this statement while signing a bill Proponents say is designed to prevent teaching critical race theory,“Now more than ever, we need policies that bring us closer together, not rip us apart. As governor, I firmly believe that not one cent of taxpayer money should be used to define and divide young Oklahomans by their race or sex. That is what this bill upholds for public education.”
The Governor’s statement removed from its context sounds good to me. Why he chose to say it while signing that bill is a mystery.
Jim Holland